SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to Global Southing. We navigate new opportunities, new ventures, and new visions behind our development and our shared future on this planet. In this episode, we dig deeper into the soil of innovation, modern farming. With the immense pressure on agriculture systems and food security strategies, we have to come up with creative and innovative ideas for modern farming. Imagine walking into a farm, but instead of seeing the traditional soil, you witness layers of leafy greens. And imagine instead of being surrounded by tractors, you are witnessing many drones flying over, collecting data and monitoring the progress of the farming. This is the modern farming we are talking about. However, we have to ask a few questions here. To what extent the global south will be able to present new solutions for the modern farming, and to what extent we will be making great transformations, not limited to the global south, but for the whole globe and for the whole planet. You are listening to Global Southern Podcast.

unknown 1:42

Mr.

SPEAKER_01 1:43

Mahdi, thank you so much for joining us in the Global Southing Podcast. I'm looking forward to hearing from you and from all technologies for modern farming. So let's start with evaluating the land escape right now. Um agriculture makes up twenty-three percent um in sub-Saharan Africa, for example. However, there are plenty of lands that are uncultivated yet. So what would make vertical farming very ideal in this situation?

SPEAKER_00 2:16

Well, uh if we look to the vertical farm from that point of view, we can see the vertical farm it will take uh it's in the right place, let's say, to take it and and to give the efficiency and the improvement in that segment for in in in using those lands. Uh when we talk about vertical farms, it's not only the vertical farms in the concept of vertical farms, uh the shape, let's say. When we talk about the technique in hydroponics itself and um uh the growing in hydroponics with in in soyless environment, uh in uh any land we can utilize it with uh very uh uh less quantity of water and uh with uh efficient uh uh consumption of power. Uh this what w w where we see the benefit, the real benefit from vertical farming or any shape or any design could be in future. Uh not only the traditional typical even uh uh farms we do see right now.

SPEAKER_01 3:23

Trevor Burrus But thinking of some rural um maybe lands or uh regions in which I mean the access to vertical farming or as you said, whatever shape it is, uh would be some somehow, you know, um not really feasible. How do you think that I mean these areas will have the access to vertical farming? Well can they do it by themselves, I mean, in terms of the technique, um especially if they lack maybe the the technology in this case.

SPEAKER_00 3:52

The hydroponics uh concept it's uh simulation to the nature.

SPEAKER_01 3:56

Interesting.

SPEAKER_00 4:04

If you dig deeply in any element, uh you will find uh a huge science uh there and you will keep dig and dig for years and years and you will never reach uh the top or the bottom, let's say. So in any direction you dig, you will find more more details. But um th the criteria or from that simulation, what we want, it's not the best optimum uh hundred percent as per the nature. Nobody can do as per the natural, hundred percent.

SPEAKER_01 4:36

Then how can we do it?

SPEAKER_00 4:38

We we we we we do it as much as we we we need the result. We need the what's the aim from that uh technique we are using and what's the result required. So as as much as we make m more closer to the natural, let's say, closer to that simulation in better way, we are getting better results in that meaning. So the development it will be always there, but to be visible, we have the basics, and the basics right now it's it's good enough to to give us a result which is required in different areas, different places, playing role in many aspects, and and it's the only solution if you look to it right now, uh, to achieve many uh many of goals for a lot of regions uh that the they can't re achieve it without that techniques in in in agriculture.

SPEAKER_01 5:29

Interesting. So it's feasible even for areas that maybe um have less and less of water. Uh thinking of the um main benefit of of uh vertical farming, it's more of um like it uses ninety percent less of water uh according to FAO 2022. But in this case, how the idea has been elevated, how uh did it start uh in the first place? I'm sure someone thought about it.

SPEAKER_00 5:54

I mean, oh no no, if if if if we talk about uh the uh that technique to to grow on top of the water, yeah. And it was um if we talk about histori historically, we can find that his uh in in the history like uh three thousand PC, two thousand five hundred years in the Far East in um they they they were using the lakes, whereas the fish growing and on top of it they do some technique to for farming. So aquaponics, and if we think about it in in different ways, historically. But as a science, it's uh a new science in the 1920s. Uh they they the the the scientists start to uh look after uh the the the crops if we can uh grow it or give the pesticides uh the nutrants uh uh the the nutrition direct in the water and they start to use that technique. Uh in in the late 60s, NASA they uh do some RD on that to use it in the space uh trips, these uh the how to produce uh food in small area in um uh from that aspect and it it's take the attention, the real attention, and and and after corona, let's say. But it doesn't mean the last 20, 25 years or 30 years it wasn't there. But it was there, but there's no attention to it. Now with the climate change and after corona, where the logistics worldwide impacted, and uh we start to hear uh uh uh a new statement. It's a food security. Uh always it was the security linked to to uh security, like uh we imagine. Border, police department, uh army department. That's the our understanding of security. While we start to hear that statement in Corona time, so uh now uh how to look to that technique of of agriculture, it's different for uh for uh people themselves, how that like Corona changed a lot of things in our mind. And and and uh even my experience, like we we start that this uh uh uh in Jasborneck in Corona time because it's it was the inspiration from um food security. There is a need, will come. But to reach a result, a real result in that simulation, you have to do the trial, you have to get the knowledge. And uh it's yes visible and successfully uh workable, and it's uh it's having the water, it's impacting the carbon, it's uh uh reducing the the waste, it's uh it's you can you can do the season the flat the whole year, you you can have the crops which you can't grow in your area, you can so a lot of ideas and ideas for for hydroponics, and it can impact also the land escaping very soon. If we look if we look on bigger scale to the landscape with the with there's a huge areas, it it's costing a lot to keep it uh green and to keep it maintained and to keep it while uh now with the with that new technology and the speed of the technology going in that direction from all aspects, from AI aspects, from uh IoT and merge it together and uh the robotic work and the drones work, like I'm expecting very soon you could see the the farms it's working in a small drone or small robotic device, let's say taking care of uh uh hectares and hectares.

SPEAKER_01 9:31

Interesting. Also for monitoring maybe uh the progress or collecting data as well. Um so do you think vertical farming it's more of energy intensive or eco-friendly here? I mean, from your perspective um and from your your experience in Jaspodic.

SPEAKER_00 9:46

Well, actually we we we do this RD, it's uh we do it physically and we do it um in modules. You have you get the idea in your mind, you think about it and you see it's it's workable, it's visible, it's uh uh it's achievable. But we we we apply those modules. So um we do this experiment, uh we start in doing it in the closed environment, open environment. Now we start to do experiments on glass houses, uh special type of uh in the glass, as I'm professional in glass work and my career in glass industry. So in the glass there's a lot of uh um uh technology also like um same in the agriculture segment, the technology is going advanced, and the uh construction is going advanced in the glass also, like the manufacturing of the glass or the coating on the glass or the glass itself uh technology. It's going in the nanotechnology and we are going in the advanced glass also performance. So in um uh a country where where we have the light the the all the year, we have the sun, it's it's sunny all the year, but we have a problem in in the heat. In the weather it's uh humidity. So now we can find the solution in the glass house where we can make a very high insulation, but still we are getting the light from the nature. So we are reducing a big cost in making the vertical farm concept in closed environment. Just because we need to have uh the good weather, we can achieve it in the in uh under the glass house and uh as a good weather and with a big saving also in the power consumption. Also okay. We will say all alright, we will generate that power from the sun already. We will we'll we will uh connect to the solar panel. But um uh to build uh an efficient uh module you should build the most cost efficient also. Like um if if I can run a glass house in let's say uh 10 panels of solar panel, it's much better than to run glass house in hundred panels um um uh as a power consumption. So we are taking all of that uh elements all together and we combine it and we are trying to really reach uh the the that development, it's taking a time because we try. Uh we check the growth, we check the uh impact of the light, uh if we want to add or no, or but it's achievable, yes, achievable. We see the improvement in each trial, and yeah, we do see that. And uh I believe uh whatever I'm telling you right now, you can see it in maximum, maximum three, four years workable, um tested. Uh tested because we do see in the exhibitions all uh the other uh industries who's participating in that direction, that like the robotic companies, the drone companies, the um uh who's uh making um the factories for the chemical factories for uh the nutritions or the or the organic factories for the nutritions. Now there's race also on how to to to turn the hydroponics in organic without connecting to aquaponics, because when we connect it to aquaponics, we have a quite, let's say, uh pretty complicated setup because you you you should have the experience in growing in in growing fish first and to have the full cycle of organic for the fish and to connect it to the hydroponics and uh and to to to keep that uh equation in in in a premium uh relation so it's not impacting each other. And then you have high uh organic uh food from hydroponics technique. Uh so it could be it should be aquaponic. But if we can uh reach the to have the nutrition in in the water, it's organic, which was until now we don't have it, and there is race, and there is um there is now a company uh uh from UAE, they have pattern, they are the first one in the world who's making such kind of this uh nutrition. So we start that to do the experiments. So there is uh there is more potential in that direction. But we believe in few years you you we can see that uh aspects, it's it's it's become a real and it's become uh uh an organic technique. And whenever it's it's like that, you will see a big change in agriculture, all of it. And I believe you can see some some countries saying FUA it's not having food security only. They they they they might export also uh agriculture, and it will be something like um like you are uh one of the best agriculture countries earlier. Earlier to be from one of the best agriculture countries, you should have a very good soil, a very uh a lot of water and uh uh four seasons and a lot of a lot of things in in in in the criteria of the ground itself to to to be agriculture country. But now not anymore. Now if if you are in more technology, you might be a more agricultural country.

SPEAKER_01 15:07

Hopefully in the future. Thinking of the job market when it comes to the vertical farming, um agriculture in the first place may not really be attractive for youth, given that youth um constitutes, I would say, the majority of the uh global population. However, with the injection of technology here um in agriculture and in farming, to what extent you will find that modern farming through vertical farming, as you said, may lead to some of the shifts in the job market.

SPEAKER_00 15:36

If you look to the vertical farming from uh modern side, let's say um what we try to to always uh uh show to people in the content we put on the social media that the different application, how how you can do the things in different ways, let's say. And if you look what we do in the entrance of uh the glass factory, we do the entrance like we have hole in the entrance, uh the offices around, and we just uh build a uh a vertical farm in the entrance like uh six meter height, to uh we'll make it three elevation like you ship. It's um okay. We are working in different, let's say it's about modern now uh uh modern side and uh uh bitter climate inside the offices, uh more oxygen inside the offices, reducing carbon and nice uh green walls to have uh from that aspect, not from uh productivity and uh the atmosphere itself. The the atmosphere itself. Actually, there is no one from our suppliers or our clients or anybody coming to visit our glass factory, coming to visit a glass factory. It's uh and to see that and uh they are really impressive in that. They take in pictures, they like to taste it, they they they they love the idea. It's something they will never forget, even. Like um this is the only glass company they they they've been in, and they have they see this greeny things, uh strawberry in the summer, I don't know what, I don't know what. So um these things it it it it it will make big change also for uh there's a lot of people who really love to to be in uh bitter environment, better uh like the climate change, it's something happening. We uh if we accept or no, it's not about our acceptance. It's uh something we can touch it, something we can see, it's something it's scientifically there.

SPEAKER_01 17:36

So we have to address it anyway.

SPEAKER_00 17:38

Exactly. Um the the carbon uh uh r reduction, it's it's it's it's there and it it uh as much as you you add green things or a green area in the country or in that area you're looking for to reduce the carbon as much as you you get fresher air or more oxygen. So it doesn't matter if you make it horizontal or you make it vertical. It's finally number of crops, if we if we will imagine it that way, or number of fields and you have this uh percentage from your land, it's green. So when we say it's green, that means it's alive trees or plants or crops which when it's growing, it's consuming the uh carbon and it's giving the auto for us and that's refreshing the air. So definitely now any visitor is giving this this comment in in my office. Wow, the air very fresh. Oh, I feel different in here. Why? Because in inside my office you could see uh as a number of crops and seedlings and and plant, I I do have around uh six thousand to seven thousand in in the inside the office, which is uh as an area at the office, it's not uh it's around uh 45 square meters, let's say 50 square meters. Uh and in the total in in in the entrance of the company you could see uh around 18,000 between the entrance and the office. So I believe it's really a skiv giving impact and and and and you can feel it when you stand in in in such kind of this place. How you feel the fresh air is different and how you feel uh uh the smell also of the live crops around you. Uh it's also uh adding um in that atmosphere to the place uh from uh modern uh aspect or perspective or from um uh comfort uh area to to to sit in or to um to or it's environment to work to work uh in that environment. Yes, we do see it. It's uh very soon. I do see it also in in the I'm like I'm participating in the exhibitions around the world. And I do see many applications now it's going in the even decoration inside the the kitchen. Uh it will be a home application, it will be um um as much as we are more in the technology, as much as we see these things, it's coming more easier, and very soon we will see it in uh in in houses, in schools, and everywhere.

SPEAKER_01 20:10

So definitely it will open up uh more of uh new areas and the new domains for youth and other maybe stakeholders to be involved, as you said from different perspectives technological or um maybe from seeds innovation. Thinking of seeds um sustainability here, we have many countries in the global south that are leading when it comes to the uh seeds innovation, such as Kenya, India. So, to what extent do you find that the modern farming with the new technologies will impact the seeds innovation and open up uh new floors and the new spaces for innovation here?

SPEAKER_00 20:46

Well, definitely uh if you look uh to the agriculture from the seeds uh point of view, and you will find uh we try um the seeds always it's uh it's something all the countries now start to look after it because it's the the the the the basement of the food security, like um no agriculture without uh having the seeds first. And uh to develop a seeds which is uh doing well in the environment you have, or uh uh having um uh uh let's say from health-wise, um um having the there is some crops you see if we if you grow it here, it's not doing well because the the the weather it's it's they can't fit in it. Uh while the same type of crop you you get it from another origin, you find it is it's fine. It's uh it's it's adapting with the with temperature better, it's adapting with the uh those types of spiders better, it's adapting. So all of that genetic science behind uh once there is a big difference. Demand of agriculture, definitely the the the the development of uh genetics for the seeds, it will be you will start to see the investment in that direction in in the local uh market. And then the country it will be very visible for them because if we talk about the finally the numbers of seeds, what's the requirement each year, how many uh acre you or how many hectares you you planting every year, or how many number of uh let's say uh all type of crops or uh uh vegetables you plant every year in the season. So if we look right now, we when we have a season only we can do the farming in it, which is starting let's say from mid of October to May, June, and who's uh investing more in the on the on the greenhouses or the polytunnel, they they can have cooler weather, they it might extend it to July, and but after that in the summer it's very difficult. So it's different when when and and and in in very s limited areas where you can do agriculture. We have in Alain, we have Arian Charger, we have Arian Russell Khima, and but not all the lands, it's it's it's it's good for uh not all the lands it has water, enough water to um uh uh to do agriculture. But when you have a vertical farms and and the the that quantity it might be uh 400 uh plus, 500 so the number of seeds also became much more bigger. And and and and and it will be very worth yes to start ad uh doing a new generation of seeds, uh adapting with the uh climate in here, you uh you you grow on it uh in it and and to be localized and uh and and you produce from it and and to it will be that you have you own it and you you will put it on the back of the seeds and you generate from it um, interesting. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:00

Thinking of the aspect or the tool of AI uh in this regard, definitely it has been used, I mean, intensively to maximize, as we say, the the outcomes um of the farming itself. Um having, for example, the drones and the and the uh areas to to collect data, to monitor the progress, uh or sensors, for example. So to what extent do you find the AI is has been utilized um in the best way when it comes to the farming, whether vertical farming or modern farming in general?

SPEAKER_00 24:31

Well, still um uh the race going in that direction. Okay. Uh we are as in Jasponic uh since uh three years uh looking after that solution and we are ready to invest from our side or if we if we see a robotic company they do effort, we participate with them in in uh sharing the knowledge to to shortcut the way and and to really have a workable robotek, let's say, or drawn at uh functional in the best way in efficient price also. See if you look to the hydroponics and and vertical farms, it's uh the difficulties, let's say, or the challenges in there. It's uh it's okay. You you you talk about robotic mechanism. Even if you are the best on robotic uh mechanism, AI robotic as a company, you achieve to make the device or the robot or the drone which is making the function. The system all of it, the setup all of it, the the build-up to build up the system and to be efficient system, it all criteria should link to each other. So there is the main real task first to be sure that everything built well, then to let the AI to interfere in the proper setup you have. You build up, you c generate the data, you collect the data, and we have a data, we have a huge data. Uh from the controllers we use, it's all AOIT and and all of that data. We have the humidity, the temperature, the uh recipe, the mixing, the PPM, uh the nutrient and the water, and the pH uh reading, the temperature of the water, the all of that uh data, when the AI interferes, the AI needs data first. Definitely to analyze, or to you train him on data, do you train the AI on data to analyze? I I I th I believe and very soon what we are looking for, it's um a hand mechanism. Imagine it um the way you want in on a robot or on a drone, it's we need a hand mechanism. It has uh uh a microscope lens, it can uh by checking every day, reading the data, even plus to the sensors which is collecting the normal basic data we have already.

SPEAKER_01 27:08

24 hours.

SPEAKER_00 27:10

Exactly. And during the doing the work, that lens it's working automatically, and whenever you um uh re realize any insects, it's uh also uh telling you what's the type of that insects, it's uh telling you what's the best pesticides, it's if there is organic pesticides for that or whatever. So you can start from a very um early stage to to to keep your crops and and and in in a fine shape because uh you look after them in every single, let's say, minute or seconds automatically and you have this data. And uh we don't see that a complicated in in a robotic work. Like when we say about a lens, and then it's not that uh it's not the complicated uh So it's not hard to achieve it. It's not hard to uh to achieve. And you see now it's more advanced. Um even in university in in Khalifa University they they uh show uh module this year, how they uh uh make by the AI to to realize the the the fine fruit or the fine, let's say if you harvest uh tomato or whatever, which one the the fine to harvest or no by the touching. And so uh if we talk about this senses sensitivity of uh robotic work or um mechanism of um it's um it's within maximum two years you will see it workable. Because we see until now it's uh we see the functions 50-60 percent existing, already um available. But it uh um it's a matter of time. It's a matter of uh modification and it's a matter it's under RD, it's with hundreds of companies, not only with one of uh of a company, like one company who's doing that RD. No. Like hundreds of companies around the world who's in that segment already, in in the traditional robotic way or uh machinery way or robotic machines or in that automation industry, they are in race for having now uh a uh application linked to the AI shortcut uh a lot of process in every single day, um expanding also the accuracy and um expanding the s scale we can uh work in in that aspect, in that concept also and that idea.

SPEAKER_01 29:28

Excellent. Thinking of also uh vertical farming, um maybe to serve the climate, given that we face global warming. Uh to what extent do you find that vertical farming or modern farming in general is uh climate smart farming? Because at the end of the day, we care also about the environment. It's not only about the crops uh we are growing or the deliverables we are having um or w whether to have, let's say, strawberry in summer or not. It's also about the environment we live in and maybe minimizing the effect of global warming on us. So to what extent do you find it will be uh to what extent you find global uh modern farming will be lowering the the carbon emissions in the environment?

SPEAKER_00 30:10

Well as well.

SPEAKER_01 30:12

Because we are using LED lightning also. I mean besides the the natural sunlight, there is also the use of LED here.

SPEAKER_00 30:19

Yeah. So this is what we uh say like we can now we use the LED lights or the vertical farms as going on the LED lights from uh a many points of view. Like uh f without the light you can't uh grow the crops finally. Like we need the lights. Okay. Why why we now uh start doing the experiments in the glass houses and and and and and uh different shape, different uh uh way of building up the the the the vertical farm itself to have as much as we can light from the sunlight where we reduce the reliance on LED. Exactly. We'll not depend that much in in in the LED and we will reduce the even we will get the power from a sustainable source or it's it's a it's a green power from solar panels, but as what we say, if we if we achieve a a glasshouse working in 10 solar panels better than uh the the same glasshouse working on 100 solar panels. So uh this is the equation. And as much as we start to have the power from a clean, uh green source, sustainable source, and we are increasing increasing at the same time the crops. So the crops in any way it's like breathing, or let's say during growing, it's taking the carbon, giving the oxygen. So as much as it's in bigger number, in vertical or horizontal or wherever, it's impacting the the environment, all of it. Like it's impacting if we look from higher points view, it's impacting the area, all of it. It's impacting the country, all of it. Like if you if you put in UAE now, let's say uh 20 million of crops right now, it's giving that type of that that that much of oxygen. Imagine if you put 100 million of crops at the same time, so it's giving um five times more uh oxygen. Even if they are limited in in the glassroom or oh definitely like like the air, it's not uh finally it's uh the the when we say closed environment, like it's not you keep the air inside that building and it's not going back to the colour. The air it's uh still we are in a bigger cycle, and uh even it's there is there the ventilation system, there is ACs, there is all of these things, but finally we are still linked to our fully environment. It's we can't be like excluded from it. Or the air where w we make it cleaner, it will be for us clean always, and it's inside our building. No, like the air it's uh recycled something. In our and in and out from the any building, in and out, in any place, without even we uh realizing that. Um but the air it's coming in and out, and and whatever you're impacting inside a greenhouse or polytunnel or uh glasshouse, it's impacting the f the whole environment, all of it.

SPEAKER_01 33:18

Interesting. Thinking of the needed regulations, uh, I mean throughout the discussion here, uh I noticed that I mean we touched upon a little bit of technology providers, funders, those who are holding the place itself or like the the the companies and the themselves. Also, we need the governments, for example, to come up with maybe uh a new policy that would be supporting uh such technologies uh to to sustain and to grow uh for modern farming. So, what kind of collaborations you think um is very urgent, are very urgent here in this discussion between between all of these stakeholders?

SPEAKER_00 33:56

Well, we do see a real effort honestly from uh the government in the occasions, uh in all the occasions or um uh exhibitions we have in UAE. They are participating, they are supporting, they have programs, they have a prize for uh who's going in that direction, and they really do a big effort uh yearly, and a lot of price is there, and and it's worthy enough for anyone making a real effort in and in in that direction. So that from the side of motivation and and and pushing uh uh people to be motivated, achieving the vision of the country itself. Uh at the same time, like uh we start to see more uh uh workshops. They are uh interfering, they are visiting the private segment and they are uh giving us the guidelines or the better direction or if they have better experience or if they can add any value in a scientific research if you want to support you in uh to to check your uh uh producing way in laboratory to have that. We not everyone having that uh let's say facilities. Uh facilities. Uh I can't have facilities of full laboratory to keep doing the RD and to be sure that I'm I'm in in my right direction. It's it will be a very huge complicated work if if we look to the private sector. So when you when you see those options that's available from the government uh giving giving that for you for free, it's just uh supporting it. It's it's it's uh uh it's it's very interesting, it's very good. Uh what I think it's it it could need more cooperation. Um uh the the hydroponic system in the education uh segment, it's something in uh very nice and amazing to see it in the schools. And but the the point in there, um I I did visit a lot of schools where they have uh lack of knowledge. Like uh the company who did the setup, they have lack of uh knowledge. The the teachers uh who want to educate the kids uh they're also not that much educated in in so exactly so. Uh if if who's going to give the knowledge to the kids and to let them to practice this and to enjoy that concept and to grow up with it and to have that skills from young age, uh they have lack of knowledge. Um this I I I believe it it it it it it needs more focusing in giving a real training program to be sure that uh uh who's who's who's after that they are aware about what they are doing and they can solve the problems and they can really uh deliver the the the the the the knowledge which uh it should deliver to the kids from that age, from young age where where in in in in in in very short time you will start see from those generation who's leading the future. Definitely because they are in in in in in that age you are you are in in the most creativity and you are in the most uh uh smartness uh true as as a human, as um as as a cycle of a human, let's say. So from that uh uh mm age, if they can get the real knowledge, I believe they can do uh a real uh innovation in the very soon future.

SPEAKER_01 37:29

True. Thinking of the uh future, I mean by 2050 food production must increase by 70 percent, according to Fau. So like final thoughts um from you, Mr. Mehdi, to maybe to accelerate the work for modern farming.

SPEAKER_00 37:45

Well we say to achieve 70 percent and twenty fifty.

SPEAKER_01 37:51

Which is somehow soon.

SPEAKER_00 37:52

Which which is about let's say uh twenty-five years from now. Uh I believe uh in as what I see in the market and and the jump from year to another the second year, like from last year to this year or from two years back to this year. I believe in in in in 2040 we could be exporting and we reach more than 70 percent in that direction.

SPEAKER_01 38:19

Hopefully.

SPEAKER_00 38:20

Uh hopefully, because of the real application and the real modules you you see uh yeah year after year. It's something tangible. It's something we can really touch it and see it. And uh it's not something we are not talking now in theories. We're still we are uh uh let's say to to be very positive about it and to say you know we'll achieve it. No, to be realistic and to look in reality what's going on and to see the things, how how the speed of that things it's going like it's a big jump between the last year and this year, from the technology-wise, from the AI-wise, from the robotic-wise, from all of that aspect. So the race in that direction, I don't see it it will take that much time to uh to to be in in in in in in in in high level, let's say. I'm I'm I'm imagining in another five, eight years max to see a really uh nice uh uh modules of uh robots, of uh automation, uh of uh vertical farms in very uh cost efficient. It's uh available now, but the cost of it is incredibly high if you want to to do it and apply it that way. So the equation of it it's not visible. So year after year we see the big drop in like let's say if we talk about some uh type of glass in in the glass technology, which is where we apply the nanotechnology, and and we start that from in in the glass industry before four years, it was the square meter in in$400, and after now after four years we talk about hundred dollars. The drop in the price, and uh it's it's it's it's the more competition worldwide you see, the price is much better and the specification much higher. This is this is what we see every year. So I believe in shorter time we can achieve higher results.

SPEAKER_01 40:11

Interesting, hopefully in the near the very near of the future, uh before 2050. Thank you so much, Mr. Mahdi, for joining us. It was very interesting, I mean, to understand and maybe comprehend the the technology behind it and the connections you made uh for us. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00 40:26

You're welcome. Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_01 40:28

Let's draw some conclusions here towards the end of this episode. Modern farming is a necessary step to ensure agriculture systems continuity and food security for this planet. However, we have to engage different stakeholders in this discussion with the private sector, funders, and government. They are of key importance to ensure the continuity of the cross borders collaborations. For more talks and for more conversations in the Global Southern podcast, don't forget to follow and subscribe. Until next time, thank you so much.